Left Outside Alone
by Knightwood
Summary: How does it feel being normal when all your best friends are superheroes? Fran knows only too well.
1. Left Outside Alone

**Legal Notice: **I do not own Power Rangers or the associated characters, names, places, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T – may be some adult themes, violence etc.

**Timeline: **A few days following the events of Wolf Hunt. This will include some crossovers with the episode "No 'I' in team" to cover where the canon conflicts with my own stories, (mainly Camille's living with the Rangers) but will be kept as much as possible a self-contained story. Needless to say, where the script overlaps with the script of the show, Disney owns the rights, I don't.

**Left Outside Alone**

Lily woke up, again finding herself in RJ's arms and smiled. She'd known she'd made the right decision with him. There was a closeness, a connection there that she'd never felt with anyone before. She turned over to see him still sleeping and had to try hard not to giggle. He was usually a morning person, often waking long before she did, so it was funny that she was waking before he did now.

"Good morning." She greeted him as he finally came to. "Sleep well?"

"Of course I did." He told her, grabbing her and turning over, finding himself on top of her. "How could I not when you're beside me?"

"Well I guess you enjoyed last night then." She laughed, struggling against him half-heartedly. "I guess I should expect you to have so much energy since you're so well rested."

"Well I think it's obvious that I..." He was interrupted as he heard a chap at the door. He looked at Lily, remembering the embarrassment he'd caused her with his carelessness only a couple of weeks ago when he'd received his wolf morpher. "I'll be there in a minute." He called out, gesturing to Lily to gather some clothes and head into the en-suite. Originally the apartment had only had one bathroom, but the steadily-increasing number of residents had necessitated the introduction of a couple of en-suites. Not including Fran who technically lived at home, but spent so much time there that she may as well live with them, there were now five people living in the apartment, including two women. To say that the bathroom situation had become an issue would be an understatement. Thankful for the additional room for Lily to retreat to and spare her embarrassment, RJ pulled on a pair of jeans and opened the door.

"Can I help you Casey?" He asked. Casey was standing in front of him in his training gear.

"I was going for a run." He told the wolf master. "I was wondering if you'd like to come."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine." RJ replied, beginning to close the door. "I'll warm up later."

"OK, but remember training's at three." Casey told him, turning to leave. "I'll see you then."

"What did he want?" Lily asked as she returned to the room.

"He was just inviting me for a run." RJ told her. "That and to remind me about training."

"So you didn't want to go for a run?" She asked him.

"When you're here, what do you think?" He asked her playfully, pulling her onto the bed. He turned from her briefly as her top slipped, revealing a couple of dark red marks on her ribcage. Lily saw the reaction.

"I keep telling you, I'm fine." She reassured him again as he pulled away from her. "I'm nowhere near as sore as I was, and the cuts have closed. They're basically big bruises."

"I know." He sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It still doesn't make me feel real good about myself."

"You've bruised me up before." Lily told him, putting her arms around him and holding him. "You'll probably give me a few fresh ones later today."

"It's not the same and you know it." RJ replied. "I know we've said everything about it that needs to be said, just forgive me if it's still a little hard for me to see them."

"Well you won't have to look at them much longer." Lily reassured him. "Besides, I'm sure I could think of a way to make them easier to look at." She picked up a pair of towels, offering one to RJ. "I need a shower. Do you fancy saving a little water?"

"I suppose I could use one too." He replied cheekily, accepting his own towel from her. He smiled at her, opening the door and gesturing for her to carry on.

In a secluded area of the fortress, Grizzaka made his way alone to an area only he was aware of. Dai Shi crept silently through the trees a little way above the Overlord. It galled him to be sneaking around like a frightened rodent. Sneaking and subterfuge was always more Camille's forte than his, he preferred to confront problems head on. His injuries at the Red Ranger's hands had all but healed, though he still hadn't recovered much of his energies, and he still struggled with harnessing the zukado powers. Making a move just now would be more to Grizzaka's benefit than his. Seeing that he had come to a halt, Dai Shi nestled down into a crouch, concealing himself behind some foliage out of sight as he watched.

"Zukado Power!" The overlord roared, casting out an energy wave which destroyed a rock face a little way ahead of him. Dai Shi looked on in confusion. Behind the wall was a series of terracotta warriors.

'What would he want with a bunch of statues?' He wondered to himself as he began to have doubts as to the bear's intelligence. Perhaps with a bit of thought, his superior power wouldn't be hard to overcome after all.

"Awaken my mighty guards!" Grizzaka called out as he revived a pair of the statues. Dai Shi could feel their power from his position several feet away.

'If I master the zukado power, then things are going to be very different around here.' He mused to himself. He took the opportunity to slide away unseen as Grizzaka gave the warriors their orders. While he was distracted with the Rangers, Dai Shi would be finding the secrets of his power. Perhaps letting the bear have the throne wasn't such a bad thing...for now!

In the main training area of the back room, Fran circled her opponent cautiously as she prepared to strike. She knew he was a tricky foe, one that could catch her unawares at any moment. She surged forward, catching his wrist and his elbow, forcing him to a knee.

"Is that it?" Theo chuckled from his position on the floor. Fran had begun as a force of habit coming to work a bit earlier each day so that Theo could give her a few lessons in self defence. She had seen some of the others training before, and had, unfortunately, been dragged into a couple of fights herself unwittingly since she'd found out about the Ranger's identities, so she thought it would be a good idea to get some pointers. The fact that it meant she got to spend more time with Theo was a bonus.

Theo twisted on the floor, catching Fran's feet in his own and bearing her face-first to the mat as he released the pressure on his arm. He turned her over, twisting her arm and applying just enough pressure for her to feel it without hurting her.

"Well you do have a few years training over me." She stated with a pout as he helped her back to her feet.

"Exactly, all it takes is time and practice." He reminded her. "Lily and I trained for years to get as good as we are."

"I know you did." Fran sighed. "I guess I just get a little frustrated."

"Well personally I think you're doing great." He told her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground. "You've made a lot of progress over the past few weeks."

She brought her heels into the backs of his knees, causing him to lose balance, falling onto the ground, with her landing on top of him. He winced slightly as some of the air was knocked out of him, but it didn't take the edge off his sense of humour as he realised the position he was in.

"That one just came to me." She giggled, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "It's a new technique."

"Well I wouldn't mind being hit with that one a few more times." He laughed in response. "Tomorrow we'll work on the tonfa OK?"

Fran shifted a little awkwardly, letting him up. "Theo, I was wondering if you could talk to me about animal spirits." She began as he sat up. "I don't even know what mine is. Could you...?"

"Fran, I really shouldn't." He interrupted her sadly. "I'm not a master; I don't have the experience to teach you that. Besides, you haven't done enough mental preparation and meditation for that yet."

"Do you think I even have an animal spirit?" She asked him. "You can tell me if you don't, I..."

"Fran, everyone has an animal spirit." He told her. "Some people are more in tune with theirs than others, and it takes a lot of spiritual harmony to establish the connection, that's why most people live their lives not even knowing it exists. It takes years of training to channel the animal spirit, Lily and I trained for almost two years before Master Mao would even let us try."

Fran looked a little puzzled as he said this. "I thought you said Casey was only at the temple for a couple of weeks before all this happened?"

"He was." Theo said awkwardly. "He somehow channelled his tiger spirit when Jarrod was threatening him. It's like I said, some people are more attuned to their animal spirits than others. It's almost unheard of for someone to even be able to feel their animal spirit, never mind call it forth so quickly."

She still wasn't sure how much of what he was saying was true and how much of it he was saying to be diplomatic and not hurt her feelings, she just wanted to understand. She knew it wasn't something she should mess around with, the whole incident with RJ had made that perfectly clear, but she also knew that because of that RJ was unlikely to be particularly receptive to the idea of training her to use it. Of course now it looked as though Theo wasn't going to either.

"What's it like?" She asked him. "When you call the spirit, what's it like?"

Theo had to think hard about it for a while. He didn't really think about it much, he'd been in harmony with his jaguar now for years, so he wasn't usually thinking much about his feelings at the time, and he had in some ways come to taking it for granted. He cast his mind back to the first time he'd called it.

"The first time I called it, Master Mao had a few of us in deep meditation." He began his recollection with a bit of a nostalgic smile. "It came forth in a moment of clarity. We weren't channelling them into attacks or anything back then, we were just communing with them, just trying to establish a connection. When it came out, I was exhausted, but I felt really happy and empowered. When I saw the jaguar pacing the room, I felt amazing."

Fran smiled at him, feeling a little better about it. She still felt a little disappointed at not being able to fully understand, but seeing the grin on his face as he talked about it, she knew it was a huge part of him, something important in his life. "So do you talk to it and stuff?" She asked.

"Not really, it's more a kind of emotional connection." He explained. "We're both aware of each other, and we kind of communicate our thoughts and feelings with one another."

"You can use it in your attacks though, can't you?" She asked. "I've seen you do it, it can be used to attack an enemy can't it."

"It can." He answered. "But it exists as so much more than that."

They were interrupted as Camille, Lily and RJ came into the room. They quickly parted, getting back to their feet and composing themselves. Camille thought it was a little amusing that they still reacted like that when someone walked in on them.

"We're on the late shift." Camille reminded Fran. "Are you ready to set up?"

"I'll be there in a minute Camille." She replied, kissing Theo gently. "We've been working out; I just need to go for a shower."

"I just hope you didn't wear yourself out Theo." RJ chuckled. "We're starting at two today, remember?"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He replied. "I've got plenty left."

"I'll catch you downstairs Fran." Camille told her, making her way downstairs. Fran nodded and headed for the shower.

As she had her shower, Fran suddenly came across a thought. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought about it before. RJ wouldn't teach her to channel her animal spirit out of respect for RJ's position as a master. She guessed Lily and Casey wouldn't either for the same reason. Of course, there was one other person in the apartment that knew how to do it. Someone she was becoming pretty good friends with lately. She got dressed, making her way past RJ, Lily and Theo in the training area, beginning a serious workout. Making her way downstairs, she found Casey and Camille talking in the kitchen.

"Casey, I thought you'd be training with the others." Fran stated. Casey looked at her a little confused.

"But training isn't until three." He replied, checking his watch, finding that it was now 2:45. "I told everyone that."

"Well they've been going at it pretty hard since about two." Fran informed him. Casey looked at Camille who confirmed this with a nod. Looking a little annoyed, he made his way upstairs. Fran just shrugged off his reaction and decided that now was a good time to talk to Camille.

"How are things going?" She asked.

"Not too bad, it's becoming easier." She replied. Ever since leaving Dai Shi and moving in with the Rangers, Camille had refused to change into her beast form, and to access the dark energies of her animal spirit. It hadn't been easy at times; there was more than one occasion 

she had wanted to let her resolve slide, especially when Casey was in battle. However, she was keenly aware of the tightrope she had been walking for so long that she had decided the easiest way to prevent herself being lost to her animal spirit was to stop using those energies. She still channelled it on occasion, but her days of changing were over.

"Camille, I was wondering about my animal spirit." She began thoughtfully. "Could you teach me how to channel it?"

They were interrupted by an alarm, and the Rangers rushed from the apartment. Camille took this opportunity to slip out of the kitchen without another word. Fran cursed her luck at the unfortunate timing. This was one conversation that would have to wait.

In a garden in the fortress, Dai Shi called forth dozens of Rinshi warriors, before pulling off his dressings.

"If Grizzaka will not teach me how to harness the zukado powers, then I will have to learn for myself." He stated, powering up into his armoured mode. "Perhaps I will harness them if my survival depends on it." With that, a fierce battle ensued.

Back at Jungle Karma, the team arrived back after the battle, before heading out again to train some more. For some reason, Camille and Fran got the feeling Casey wasn't happy about something. Of course, that wasn't really what Fran was concerned with. It wasn't long before the Rangers returned again, something had cut their training session short, and by the looks of Casey as he stormed through the kitchen, barely even registering Camille, it was something to do with him.

"RJ, what's going on?" Camille asked. "We've got a leaking sink, we're almost out of dough and Fran has some new recipe she wants..."

"Lily, Theo, why don't you help Camille and Fran?" He suggested, gesturing to them. Fran realised that she wouldn't get another chance to talk to Camille tonight, which annoyed her a little, but she was always able to accept the Ranger business was more important.

As RJ made his way upstairs with a troubled look on her face, she heard Casey bouncing the basketball on the floor of the back room, though it sounded almost as if he was trying to put the ball through the floor. Obviously something had gone down between Casey and RJ. She shrugged thinking about it. They always did have that kind of relationship. One minute they were best friends, the next they were at odds. It was unlikely to last long; most likely it wasn't anything serious anyway.

As the alarm sounded, Theo and Lily rushed back upstairs, before rushing out again on their own. RJ and Casey were obviously still talking about something, but since they were doing so in the middle of an attack, it would be a while before they were interrupted; she decided to approach Camille again.

"Camille, have you thought about what I asked?" She quizzed her. Camille looked a little uncomfortable at being asked, but she could see that Fran was serious.

"It's not something you should undertake lightly." Camille told her. "Are you sure you really want to do this? It's not an easy process; it'll take a lot of training and meditation."

"I understand." Fran replied. "So will you do it?"

Camille really wished she had someone else for support, but everyone else was busy. She didn't know how to answer. She knew from personal experience how hard the whole process was, but Fran had been really good to her since she arrived, and she kind of felt like she owed her.

"I'll do it." She replied before she could stop herself. "I'll take you through the training involved, but you have to be serious about this. You have to do exactly what I say, do you understand?"

"I do." Fran stated. "When can we start?"

As Dai Shi destroyed the last of the Rinshi attacking him, he snarled in frustration as he powered down. He could feel the energy coursing through him, he knew that every foe he destroyed had brought him one step closer, but he still hadn't mastered it.

"I have defeated them, yet I cannot harness the power!" He roared as he fell to his knees. He suddenly became aware of another presence. At first he was worried that Grizzaka had found him attempting to harness the zukado powers, in which case he was sure to be destroyed. However, the voice calling to him was not Grizzaka, and it used the name of his vessel.

"You must step off this path of evil Jarrod," Master Mao advised him, "in your heart you still have the spirit of the lion."

"Jarrod cannot hear you." Dai Shi sneered at the spirit of the fallen master. "I am Dai Shi."

"Jarrod's humanity and his lion spirit form a union that cannot be destroyed." He told him. "Even Dai Shi does not have the power to break that nexus." With that he disappeared. Obviously Master Mao knew that Jarrod still existed within him, and was hoping to strengthen his resolve enough to separate himself from Dai Shi. However, he had only succeeded in giving him an idea.

"A nexus more powerful than me," he mused out loud with a satisfied smile, "of course, thank you Master Mao."

Back at the restaurant, the Rangers had arrived back, having defeated the latest of Grizzaka's warriors. Fran had agreed with Camille that the first of their meditation sessions would take place early the following morning, long before the others would awake. In the meantime, Fran took the opportunity to present her latest recipe idea to the others.

Are you ready to try my special dessert?" Fran asked them.

"You bet!" Casey replied enthusiastically, a bit curious as to what she had come up with.

"The secret ingredients are chocolate and anchovies." She announced proudly. Theo, Lily and Casey all looked far from convinced as she laid the plate down before them. "Come on guys, just try it. We can all try just one!"

"I'm game!" Flit announced, flying out of Camille's mouth.

"Deal." Casey stated. "Let's give it a shot.

"If you can try one, then so can I." Theo added, picking up another. Although the look of revulsion on her face hadn't lessened any, Lily knew she couldn't be the only one not to try it and picked up another.

"I enjoy a healthy spirit of adventure; I'll go for a double." RJ announced, picking up two and dipping them in chocolate. Within seconds, all of the Rangers except for RJ were coughing and spitting the horrid concoction into handkerchiefs.

"Is it that bad?" Fran asked.

"Not really." Flit commented, heading back into Camille's stomach. Camille didn't really look convinced either, though feigned retching to distract attention from the fact that she hadn't actually taken one.

"Say Fran, didn't we say we'd ALL try one?" Casey reminded her, picking up a dish of chocolate sauce.

"Would you like one anchovy or two?" Theo asked. Realising the position she was in, Fran started to run, being followed in close pursuit by the others, all except RJ who actually seemed to be enjoying the remains of his dish. She just managed to get back out of the kitchen before being bundled playfully to the ground by Theo and Lily, pinned beneath them as they held her fast so that Casey could catch up and return the favour.

"Open wide Fran." Casey teased her, shoving one of the disgusting things into her mouth. Fran could now see why they had reacted the way they had, it tasted vile, but she couldn't help laughing despite the assault on her taste buds. She always enjoyed hanging around with the others and joking around with them. It was only then they turned to see RJ finishing off the last of the plate.

"I quite enjoyed that." He quipped as he wiped his mouth. "Not bad Fran."

"Well don't think you'll be having that regularly." Lily chirped playfully. "If you start tasting like that, then you're not coming anywhere near my lips."

"Like I said, it wasn't bad Fran." RJ stated. "It's just not what I'm looking for in the restaurant."

"No problems!" The others chorused together.

The atmosphere was light-hearted and full of laughter, but Fran couldn't help feeling a little sadness creeping up in her. Seeing her friends gathered sometimes just made her pointedly aware of the huge gulf between them. Even RJ, her closest friend of many years had been shown to have this huge side to himself that she didn't know about until recently, and just couldn't understand. She loved Theo, and she knew he loved her back, but he just didn't seem to understand how it made her feel when they turned to the subject of Pai Zhuq and their animal spirits. It wasn't easy being the 'bumbling sidekick' to a bunch of superheroes. Even Camille was a reforming super villain. Despite them being her closest friends, her family, sometimes she felt left out. Sometimes, being surrounded by those she cared about most was the loneliest place in the world for her.

Back in the fortress, Dai Shi was searching through scrolls in the library, tossing them aside in frustration. He knew where he could get the power he needed, but the map to the Rhino Nexus had been in the library for centuries, and he had no idea where he could find it. It could take months to search through all those scrolls. If only he hadn't been locked in that box for all those centuries, he would have had time to look through them all. Not even the other overlords would know where it was, they'd only just been revived after thousands of years, and Grizzaka wouldn't help him. It was then that he got the thought.

"She had centuries with nothing to do but crawl around these walls changing colours." He commented to himself. "I guess it's time to go and talk to my ex."


	2. Fran's Journey Begins

A/N: The next couple of chapters will coincide with the episode "True Friends, True Spirits", again with slight variations to make it fit my storyline (I loved this episode, but it really did throw a lot of challenges to overcome my way. Oh well, the sooner I start, the sooner I finish.) Again where the script overlaps with the episode, Disney owns the rights.

Also, a little apology for how long this took to go up. As some of you may know, I had a small problem with my E-mail. I think I've now replied to all my reviews, if I missed anyone, sorry, it wasn't personal, just an oversight. Hope you all like it.

Early the following morning, Fran and Camille were sitting in the Lotus position, concentrating deeply on their meditation as Camille continued with her lesson in channelling the animal spirit. She still wasn't sure that it was wise for Fran to be attempting it, but her fears had been allayed a little by her dedication to the task at hand. As part of her training, Theo had taught her some meditation techniques, so at least she wasn't starting from scratch.

"You need to go deep into your centre." Camille told her softly as she sat with her young student, guiding her through her consciousness. "You need to go much deeper than you've ever gone."

Fran reached through the planes of consciousness in her thoughts, attempting to search for her ever-elusive animal spirit. She had already begun to reach into areas she had never accessed before, but she couldn't see anything. Camille could see the thought and frustration in her face as her brows furrowed a little unconsciously.

"You're not looking with your eyes; you're looking with your mind." Camille reminded her, taking her hands in her own. "Try to stay calm and concentrate."

Fran tried to comply, but the pounding in her head was becoming more aggressive. The effort of her exertion was already beginning to tell on her physically. She tried hard to shallow her breathing, but she had already lost her concentration. Camille could see the disappointment in Fran's face as she snapped back into consciousness, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I couldn't see anything." Fran told her, taking a sip of water.

"The first time you won't see it, you'll feel it." Camille told her with authority. "You'll not see it for a while."

Fran sighed a little in disappointment as Camille helped her back to her feet. "I know this takes a lot of time and training, but it's still hard." Fran commented.

"You'll find out it's worth it in the end." Camille told her. "The first time you see it in your mind, it's an amazing experience. But it's nothing compared to the first time you see it manifest in its physical form."

"It sounds like it's worth the effort." Fran replied, gathering her belongings. "I'll keep trying."

Camille smiled at her a little, feeling better about the whole deal. She could see a lot of herself in Fran, in many ways she was just like herself when she was younger. Despite her nervousness and her jitters, she had a certain strength about her. Once she set her mind on something, she kept going until she accomplished it. Of course, unlike her, Fran had her friends and Theo to help her train, so she would not be swayed into doing things she shouldn't because of another's ulterior motives.

"Hey, look over there!" Flit screamed as he burst forth from Camille's mouth. "The Megazords!"

Turning to face into the city, they could see the gigantic Zords towering over the buildings, doing battle with some form of fish monster.

"I'm going for a closer look!" He yelped with excitement as he flew off in the direction of the battle.

"Flit, wait!" Camille implored him, but he was already heading away from them at impressive speed. Camille groaned and gestured to Fran to follow her. "Come on, before he gets into trouble."

"What's his deal anyway?" Fran asked as the sprinted after the fly. "Is he another animal spirit or something?"

"Not exactly, it's a long story." Camille replied. Fran detected a little note of regret in Camille's voice as she said this. For some reason Flit seemed to be a touchy subject for her.

"Does the commentary get annoying?" Fran asked her.

"Only if he's rooting for the other side," Camille sniggered slightly as they reached a fire escape, making their way up to the roof of the building Flit had chosen as his vantage point for the battle, "once you get used to it, he can be pretty funny."

"I suppose after living with him as long as you have you'd get used to it." Fran suggested. She noticed, however, that Camille didn't answer. As they took up their vantage point to watch the battle, Fran couldn't help getting the feeling again that something about the connection between Camille and Flit was a source of great regret for her.

Grizzaka had called Dai Shi and the other Overlords into the throne room early that day. Dai Shi once again humbled himself by taking a knee before the more powerful Grizzaka. Bile rose in him once again as he struggled to remain calm despite his humiliation. He had not yet found the map to the Rhino Nexus, so making his move now would be nothing short of foolish.

"Grizzaka, you promised us a great victory, where is it?" Carnisoar snapped as he strode into the room.

"You'll get it. My Barrakuza in battling the Rangers as we speak!" He announced in response.

"You asked for a spirit Lord Grizzaka," Jellica stated as she arrived in the room, carrying a terracotta pot, "one that could possess a human."

Dai Shi snapped to his feet, looking at the Overlords in disbelief. "You're giving him my spirits?" He asked incredulously. He knew it wasn't a good sign that Jellica and Carnisoar were willing to go into his private chambers to bring his weapons for Grizzaka. If they were no longer backing him, then he was in serious trouble.

"Ha! They're my spirits now!" Grizzaka sneered in response. "Now see what MY spirits can do!"

He opened the pot allowing the spirit to escape. I t swirled and writhed in the air before him awaiting his command. "Ill winds, blow to the Wolf Ranger!" He commanded, causing the spirit to fly from the room. Dai Shi couldn't be sure what his plan was, but right now he wasn't concerned with that. Right now, he was more concerned with how he was going to get Camille to help him find the map. Without her, it could take weeks, even months to find it, and if his suspicions were correct, then he didn't have that long before Grizzaka would turn on him.

Meanwhile across the city, the Jungle Master Megazord and the Wolf Pride Megazord were deeply embroiled in battle RJ was pressing home the attack as a bright flash entered the cockpit and struck him solidly in the chest, causing him to collapse. The others saw that his Zord had fallen and came to his side.

"RJ, are you OK?" Casey asked, seeing the Zord slumped on the ground. Without warning it launched into a furious assault on the other Rangers. Camille, Fran ad Flit looked on in disbelief from their vantage point a little way off. They didn't notice that another unexpected spectator was watching with interest.

"I see your plan now Grizzaka, possessing the Wolf Ranger will certainly occupy the Rangers." He complimented his foe. Shifting his gaze, he saw his true quarry on the nearby rooftop. "Of course it'll also distract you enough to blind you to my intentions."

"RJ, what are you doing?" Theo shrieked as the Jungle Master Megazord reeled from the attack.

"Did we just get blindsided by our own team mate?" Casey asked as they prepared to defend themselves against the unexpected assault.

"RJ, it's us!" Lily implored him. "Please, stop this!"

The two zords continued to battle, allowing Barakuzza to leave without incident.

"What's happening?" Fran yelled at Camille from their vantage point near the battle. "Why's RJ acting like this? He regained control of his wolf spirit."

"Something else has to be going on." Flit surmised. The two Zords finally ended their stalemate by striking each other down. The resulting explosion levelled the building Camille and Fran were using as a viewing spot, separating Flit from the other two as it collapsed.

RJ came to, realising that he was now de-morphed and lying among shattered concrete. He heard Flit's high-pitched screams for help, lifting a slab of concrete and finding him underneath.

"Flit, what are you doing here?" He asked the fly as he lifted him from the rubble.

"Camille, Fran and I were in the area." He explained. "We were watching from the nearby building when your Zord went haywire."

RJ's eyes darted back and forth as he recalled what he could remember. He was helping the Rangers in their battle, then he saw a bright light, following which he was attacking them. He could recall seeing his hands sprouting fur once more.

"I changed." He gasped as he remembered what had happened. "Somehow I lost control again."

"Where's Camille?" Flit asked him. "Where are Camille and Fran?"

RJ's thoughts left the Wolf transformation as he looked around for any sign of his friends. He couldn't find them anywhere, but he could hear sirens coming his way.

"The emergency services are on their way." He stated, tucking Flit into his tunic and running from the scene. "The others will most likely have made their way back to the restaurant. If not, we're going to have to leave it to the authorities."

Flit couldn't help worrying about the others, but RJ had a point. Hanging round would only lead to awkward questions, so reluctantly they left the area quickly. RJ was right; the Rangers had been well briefed that if they were ever isolated after a battle they were to regroup at the restaurant, unless they were badly hurt, they would all have fled the area once the authorities started to show up. He hoped to see them all safe again soon, especially Camille. He was already hurt, and he could already feel his strength starting to fade.

Fran came to in a back alley a short way from Camille. She tried to hoist herself to her feet to check on Camille, glad that at least she appeared to be moving. Obviously she was also coming around. She felt a hand on her arm helping her up. She figured that one of the emergency workers coming to clear the area must have found her. She was quickly proven wrong as she was rammed forcefully against a wall and her arms were twisted painfully behind her back. She felt her hands being tied tightly together, before her captor turned her to face Camille. She recognised his voice instantly, and the expression of horror on Camille's face only confirmed her fears.

"I need your help Camille." Dai Shi explained, gripping Fran roughly around the throat. "Come with me unless you want your friend to die."

"Dai Shi please let her go." Camille pleaded with him. "She's worth nothing to you; she's no danger to you..."

"I have revived Grizzaka!" He interrupted her. "He is more powerful than me, he's deposed me."

"You released Grizzaka?" Camille gasped, realising the error of his plan. "You know he blamed you for losing the Great War. What were you thinking?"

"I needed to bolster my power after the Red Ranger injured me." He replied. "He has somehow mastered the Zukado power."

Camille realised how bad this was for the Rangers. She had heard the legends of the strength of the Zukado powers. "What do you plan to do?" She asked.

"I have tried to harness the Zukado powers, but I cannot master them." He explained, gripping Fran tighter, causing her to whimper a little in pain. "Master Mao tried to reach that fool Jarrod. He told me that the nexus between Jarrod and the lion spirit cannot be broken because I do not have the power.

Camille realised where this was going. "You're looking for a nexus with more power." She gasped in realisation of his plan. "You want me to help you find it."

"I need you to help me find the map to the Rhino Nexus." He confirmed regally.

"You can't help him." Fran shrieked. "Camille, forget about me, you can't..."

Dai Shi silenced her by squeezing her windpipe tightly. Camille prepared to rush him, but she stopped as Dai Shi cinched the hold in tighter. Fran's face flashed red and she was now completely incapable of breathing.

"Perhaps I'll be kind and break her neck." He suggested. "Or perhaps I'll just crush her windpipe and leave you to watch her suffocate."

Camille weighed up her options and realised that he had her right where he wanted her. Even if she changed into her beast form as she had promised herself she'd never do again, she would never make it over to him and overpower him before he killed Fran. She held her hands up in submission, causing Dai Shi to release the hold enough to allow her to breathe. Fran coughed and wheezed loudly as she tried to regain her breath.

"I'm glad you're seeing sense." He responded, teleporting the two women with him back to his bedchamber in the fortress. He waved a hand, opening a section of wall to reveal a secret chamber. He untied Fran's hands and shoved her inside.

"I warn you, Grizzaka is not as tolerant of humans as I am if you catch my drift." He told her, shoving her to the floor. "It would be in your interests to stay quiet and not attract attention to your presence." With that, he waved a hand, closing the wall over behind him. He turned back to Camille.

"You know what will happen to her if Grizzaka finds her." He stated bluntly. "I will open the chamber and leave her to her fate if you do not find the map for me."

Camille nodded in understanding, before cloaking herself. She knew that the Overlords were aware of her defection, so she and Fran would be in as much danger if she was seen as they were if they found Fran. Dai Shi gave a satisfied little smile. He knew that it would not be long before he would go on his quest for the Rhino Nexus.

Back in JKP, the Rangers arrived back in the back room, finding RJ sitting with his head in his hands.

"What happened RJ, why did you attack us?" Casey yelled as he arrived. RJ looked over to Lily, connecting with her eyes.

"Guys, I'm really sorry, I was sure Dr. Hartford's procedure had worked." He told them sadly. "I was sure I had control of my wolf spirit."

Lily came to his side, wrapping her arms around the man she loved. It broke her heart to see him putting himself through this again.

"Where are Camille and Fran?" Theo asked, noting their absence. "The restaurant was closed when we came back."

"We were nearby when the battle started." Flit told them sadly. "We got split up when the Zords disabled each other."

"Maybe they're hurt." Casey shouted, rushing to the phone. "I'll call the hospital and..."

"RJ already called, they haven't been picked up by the ambulances." Flit told them. Casey noticed that the fly seemed to be lacking his usual energy.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked crossing over to the fly.

"It's a long story, and one that isn't really comfortable for either of us." He explained. Casey was going to press the matter, but they were interrupted by a savage snarl as Lily flew across the room. Turning round, they saw that RJ had once again taken on his beast form. Casey and Theo rushed him, grabbing him and trying to restrain him.

"Don't hurt him!" Lily screamed as she returned to the fray. RJ broke free, leaping through one of the tunnels to freedom.

"We have to stop him!" Casey called out grabbing his vine. The others followed suit, leaving the back room in a panic, hoping to stop him before someone got hurt.

"Wait for me!" Flit yelled as he flew after them. He suspected that something else was going on with RJ. With the exception of Camille, he was more in tune with his animal spirit than any of the others; it just didn't make sense that he lost control of the wolf spirit. He had healed his injury, and he had been fine for weeks. Something just didn't sit right with the way things had gone down. He shook loose a few cobwebs as he made his way into the fresh air. He was weakening, and he knew why. He could only hope that everyone would return safely soon.

Fran had spent several minutes inspecting the inside of her concrete cell, hoping to find some way out, but found none. There were no doors or windows. She could only be thankful that enough light filtered through the cracks in the stone that the room wasn't completely pitch black. She sat down thinking about her predicament. Her position was hopeless. She couldn't open the room, and even if she could, she had no idea how to make it out of the Fortress without attracting attention, and as much as she was learning from Theo, she would be no match for any of the monsters she would likely face here. As she sat, thinking about Theo, and how much she wished he would somehow know of her plight and come to her aid, she suddenly became aware of a pale blue glow behind her. Turning on the spot, she saw an older man in a red tunic standing before her.

"I can see why he cares so much for you Fran." He told her. Fran shuffled away to him in panic, trying to figure out how long she had been there. The figure chuckled.

"No, you're not hallucinating. I'm Master Mao." He told her. "You have a strong, kind and compassionate heart, as well as a keen and focussed mind."

"Master Mao?" She asked. She knew the name; Theo had talked of him many times. "But...but you're..."

"Yes Fran, I'm dead." He told her, sitting down in the lotus position in front of her. Fran was a little freaked by this, but she got the feeling that he meant her no harm, and returned the gesture. "Of course, I never let little details like that stop me having the occasional little chat."

"Uh, I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you here?" She asked him. "I thought you only advised..."

"The advantage of being dead is that there's nothing to distract you when you want to do something." He told her. "You have a lot more time on your hands when you don't have to worry about eating, and if you want to ignore someone, you just disappear. Now, I understand you're trying to learn to channel your animal spirit."

"Oh, I understand." She sighed. "You're here to tell me..."

"I'll teach you." He interrupted her. "Now, shall we begin the meditation?"

"I thought you were going to tell me not to go into this..."

"When you first wanted to learn, you wanted to learn for all the wrong reasons." He interrupted her again. "It was just to understand Theo and the others so you wouldn't feel left out."

"And now?" She asked him.

"I think you have a greater understanding of how important the work of the Order of the Claw is." He told her. "I think you respect the nature of the animal spirit, and the seriousness of the conflict, and so I'd like to teach you. Now, shall we begin?"

"Now?" She asked him a little incredulously. "But I'm being held prisoner, I..."

"It's not like you have anything more important to do." He interjected. "You'll have no distractions to keep you from your lesson. Now..."

"But I have to get out of here!" She shrieked. "I have to escape, I have to..."

"Can you break through concrete?" He asked her. Fran shook her head. "Can you fight hundreds of Rinshi Warriors and monsters single handed?" Again she shook her head.

He took her hands in his. Fran was shocked that he could still physically touch anyone, but his touch was unexpectedly warm and reassuring, her fears started to melt away.

"Trust in your friends, they will release you, and everything will be fine." He told her. Fran's thoughts drifted to Theo. She smiled as she felt in her heart that despite her fear, everything was going to be fine. "Now, let's begin."


	3. Raising Fran's Spirit

A/N: Sorry it took so long to post this, I've been feeling pretty ill lately (if I was a horse, I'd have been taken behind the barn and shot.) But I'm feeling a bit better now. Hope you like it.

Dai Shi made his way quietly through the fortress with Camille. She was used to stealth missions, but this time was different. This time it wasn't just her life that depended on it, this time Fran's life also hung in the balance. Dai Shi was right about one thing, Grizzaka had always been highly dismissive of humans, and his obsession was with their absolute destruction. He had been the first of the Overlords to trap himself in his beast form, and had done so deliberately. He'd seen his human side as being the weakest part of him and had taken the first opportunity to rid himself of his humanity for good. Dai Shi listened at the entrance to the throne chamber for a second; he got a feeling that they were discussing something important.

"It has been 10,000 years since the last beast war." Baracuzza stated, approaching the throne.

"Yes, and that one did not go so well." Grizakka replied. "By the time I'm finished, no human will walk the earth."

Dai Shi knew that Carnisoar and Jellica were in the throne room. He knew at that moment that his suspicions were correct. They had indeed chosen to side themselves with Grizzaka.

"No humans." He mused to himself as he turned from the entrance. "I will not be brushed aside so easily." He couldn't see Camille, but he knew she was there. As he headed off in the direction of the library, he gestured for her to follow.

"Just remember that you are human too." He reminded her. "As is your little friend, it would be in your best interests to help me."

Camille knew he was right. She and Fran didn't stand a chance if they were found in the fortress. Reluctantly, she followed Dai Shi to the library. She knew there was no guarantee that Dai Shi would release them after he found the map, but right now the odds of survival were better siding with him than with Grizzaka.

Back in her concrete cell, Fran sat cross-legged with her eyes closed along with Master Mao, concentrating on her meditation. She was amazed at how much further she was getting now than she was in the park. She could now see clearly into her higher consciousness, searching her mind for any sign of her animal spirit.

"You're doing well Fran." Master Mao told her encouragingly. He took her hands in his once more, assisting her in her search. "Open your heart to the spirit, it will come to you."

Fran reached out into the ether, searching for any sign of another presence. Suddenly, a flash of orange energy flashed across her mind's eye. She felt her heart skip a beat as she felt another presence; she could almost swear she heard another's thoughts in her mind.

"I felt her!" Fran yelped as her eyes shot open, bringing her back into reality. "I felt her in my mind."

"You've just achieved the first stage." He told her with a smile. "Now, take my hands and we'll continue."

Fran took his hands and closed her eyes as she prepared to go deeper.

The Rangers and Flit were in hot pursuit of RJ, hoping to stop him before he hurt anyone else. Casey groaned as the solar morphers bleeped. Putting on his glasses, he saw the images from the automated alert system, showing Baracuzza attacking the city.

"I'll go after RJ; you two have bigger fish to fry." Casey told them. He noticed that Lily was a little reluctant to go, the look in her eyes gave her away.

"Lily, I promise I won't hurt him unless I have to." Casey told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You know he has to be stopped; you know we might have to hurt him to do it."

She wordlessly nodded in understanding. She knew she wouldn't be able to hurt him, even if she needed to. It tore her apart inside to have to go through this again. She still couldn't understand how he had lost control, Dr. Hartford's procedure had allowed RJ to heal his wolf spirit, and so why was this happening to him. She and Theo ran off in the opposite direction to confront Baracuzza while Casey and Flit chased after RJ.

Back in her cell, Fran was reaching much further into her mind than she'd ever have known was possible before today. Master Mao continued to guide her on her journey into her mind in search of her animal spirit. This time, it was much easier to find it, though it still wasn't revealing itself to her. She could see the energy of it in a misty, orange swirl.

"It's just as nervous as you." Master Mao explained, speaking in a low, soothing voice. "Reach out with your heart, let it know you mean well."

Fran could almost feel herself reaching out to touch it. A warm, pleasant wave of energy washed over her as she could feel its presence even more clearly in her heart. The energy started to shift a little, revealing more of itself as it started to shift into its true form. She had never felt such an amazing sense of completeness in her life; it was as if she was finding a part of her that she had been missing her entire life. What happened next surprised even Master Mao, as it came forth, manifesting before her.

"I have never had a student call their animal spirit so quickly." He stated the shock obvious on her face. Fran looked at the small ethereal creature pacing the floor before her.

"That's my animal spirit?" She asked him, gaping in awe at the animal before her.

"Are you surprised?" He asked her. "The animal spirit takes on a form that most represents its bearer."

"Somehow I'm not really surprised by its form." She told him.

"Why would you be?" He asked her. "You're quick-witted, intelligent, cunning and loyal. I think it really fits."

"But it's so..."

"Small?" He chuckled. "Everyone says that at first. The thing to remember is that animal spirits are just like real animals and people. They grow with time and training. It'll become more powerful as you become more in tune with it. Right now, you've only just accessed it, it's not small it's an infant."

Fran reached out a hand, stroking the top of its head, feeling her connection to it as she observed the tiny spirit. She looked into its eyes and immediately understood everything Theo had told her about animal spirits. The spirit dissipated and drew back within her.

"It..."

"It's still weak." He reminded her. "You will be able to bring it out for longer periods eventually."

Fran sighed and slumped down a little in the corner. She was happy with her accomplishment, she knew how much of an achievement it was that she had summoned her animal spirit, but she still couldn't help feeling a little isolated. Her animal spirit was a mere cub, it would be a long time before it would be of use to the team, and she was still just the bumbling sidekick of the team. Now she was the damsel in distress, getting herself kidnapped by Dai Shi because of her friendship with the team.

"I would have thought you'd be happier." Master Mao commented, seeing her reaction.

"I am happy." She sighed, wiping away a small tear. "I now understand what everyone's been talking about, I now get how important their animal spirits are to them."

"So why are you still upset?" He asked her. Fran couldn't really look at him, she felt embarrassed to be talking with him about this. He had given her a tremendous gift by training her to call her animal spirit. It seemed so silly to still be upset, but there was something about him that made her feel at ease with talking to him.

"I...I just feel a little lonely at times." She admitted to him. "I mean, the others are Rangers..."

"And you feel left out." Master Mao interrupted her. "You're part of the team. Sure, you might not be wearing a brightly coloured spandex bodysuit and fighting monsters, but you're one of them."

"Please, they go out and save the world on a daily basis." Fran blurted out, wiping a fresh tear from her face. "I'm just the one that serves the pizzas when they're gone. Now I'm the one that gets kidnapped to force them to do what he wants."

"You are a very insecure person Fran." He told her, touching her arm. "Who protected Lily when Dai Shi attacked her in the restaurant while she was blind?"

"I did." She murmured, shifting a little on the floor.

"Who calmed Theo down when he wanted to go after Dai Shi for hurting you, despite having more reason than anyone to want him harmed?" He asked her.

"I did." Fran replied.

"Who comforted Casey when Camille went back to Dai Shi?" He asked her in conclusion.

"I did." She replied again. Master Mao placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him, finally able to look him in the eye.

"Never underestimate your importance to the team Fran." He told her. "You really are an amazing young woman."

With that, he disappeared, leaving her alone in the cell. Only a short time ago, she'd have panicked at the prospect of being left alone in the cell, but now she felt a whole lot calmer. Somehow she knew that her friends would get her out of there safely.

Back in Ocean Bluff, Casey and Flit were still chasing down RJ. Flit blasted him with a sound wave, stunning him momentarily. Casey took the opportunity to grab RJ, holding him in place.

"RJ, it's me." He called out as he struggled against the wolf's strength.

"Hold him steady." Flit told him.

"What are you doing?" Casey asked him, still struggling to hold him.

"You'll see." Flit replied. He connected to RJ's mind, finding him inside fighting his animal spirit.

"RJ, this is wrong, it's all wrong." He told him. "Your wolf spirit is a part of you; it's what makes you a master. You've somehow been deceived."

RJ thought about what he was saying. The wolf spirit wasn't injured in any way; there was no reason for it to be acting this way. He couldn't understand how he had missed such an obvious ruse.

"RJ, I can sense another spirit in there, that's what's deceiving you. That's what you need to fight, join with your wolf spirit. Give it nowhere to hide."

RJ grabbed the wolf, holding it steady to prevent its attack. Energy flared, once more fusing RJ with his wolf spirit. It was not long before Grizzaka's evil spirit was exposed. Casey saw a golden energy ball leaving RJ's chest, before evaporating into the ether.

"RJ, you're back!" Casey yelled, seeing the wolf master return to his human form.

"Not a moment too soon." RJ replied. It was then that he noticed Flit had collapsed onto a nearby table.

"Flit, we need to know, what's wrong." RJ told him.

"I need to get back into Camille's stomach." He replied weakly. It was obvious that the little guy was completely wiped out. "If I'm away from her for too long, I start to get weaker."

"How long do you think you have?" RJ asked him, realising what the ultimate outcome could be.

"I think maybe I have a few more hours." He guessed. "I don't know I've never been away from her for this long."

"RJ, we have to worry about that later." Casey told him. "Lily and Theo need our help on the other side of town."

RJ wrapped a cloth around the fly to keep him warm. He didn't want to leave the little guy alone, but Casey was right, Flit would be safe for the time being, at the moment, Theo and Lily were the ones in the most immediate danger. With that, they morphed and made their way to the battle site.

Back in the fortress, Dai Shi and Camille arrived in the library. Dai Shi closed the door behind him, allowing Camille to de-cloak and come back into view.

"The sooner you find me that map, the sooner you get to go free." He told her, gesturing to the assorted pile of scrolls. "You know more about how these are filed than I do."

Camille made her way over to one of the cabinets, throwing it open. She started to sort through the scrolls, finding what she was looking for. She handed it to her former lover, allowing him to inspect it. A sinister smile came to his lips as he realised he had what he was looking for.

"They say the Rhino Nexus holds unimaginable power." He stated with a satisfied chuckle. "There I will be able to harness my Zukado power." As he turned to leave, Camille surged forward, grabbing his shoulder.

"You said you'd let Fran go." She shrieked, realising he was leaving.

"I must leave; the Overlords are planning my destruction." He told her. "But soon I will have the power I need."

"Dai Shi, you can't leave her here!" Camille yelled, turning him to face her, risking his wrath. "Please, if I ever meant anything to you..."

"Do not stand in my way again." He snarled as he brought the back of his hand painfully across her face.

"If I..." Camille felt some tears beginning to form as she continued to plead with him. "If our child ever meant anything to you, please keep your word."

Dai Shi stopped in his tracks. She had managed to find the one thing she could say that would reach his heart. The pain of losing his child was still raw to him when he was reminded of that night. He swept his face with his palms as he felt the tears beginning to run down his face. Turning to face her, he gave her an amulet.

"This will open the room she's being held in." He told her. "I know you're trying not to use your dark energies. You will find a portal in the northern clearing. Concentrate on Ocean Bluff and you'll be transported. Take your friend and go."

"Thank you." She whispered, taking the amulet from him.

"Just remember, now my debt to you is repaid, and you choose to stand against me." He reminded her. "If we meet again, we will meet as enemies, both you and your friend."

"I understand." She replied, cloaking before turning to leave the room. "Take care."

"And you." He replied, also taking the opportunity to leave before the overlords could find him and realise his treachery. He knew that it was only a matter of time before they'd seek to destroy him; the writing was on the wall. As much as fleeing his fortress galled him, at least it would give him a fighting chance.

Back in Ocean Bluff, Lily and Theo were finding themselves in difficulty. Baracuzza had called in the reinforcements, and it was now becoming more than a little too much to handle. RJ arrived on the scene first, finding a safe spot to lay down Flit, before throwing himself into the fray.

"RJ!" Lily called out as he arrived, taking out some of their foes.

"I'm back." He told her. "My flea-bitten days are over."

"That's just as well." Theo commented. "I'd have hated to be the one giving you tick baths."

Casey arrived a short while later, taking out a number of their enemies with the strike rider. A short battle later left Baracuzza alone to face the Rangers.

"Two of you weren't enough, and neither are four." He taunted them, launching to the attack. RJ caught him off guard, hammering him brutally with a barrage of attacks. The monster reeled under the brutal assault. RJ powered up his wolf morpher, destroying Baracuzza completely.

"Welcome back RJ!" Lily screeched, launching herself into a passionate hug. Her heart soared to have the man she loved back with her. It wasn't fair that they had to go through this all again, she would gladly destroy Grizzaka or making her face that pain again.

"Thanks guys, it's good to be back." He told them. Unfortunately, the moment was interrupted as Barakuzza grew to massive size.

"I guess we should have seen that coming." Lily snapped, more than a little angry that her moment with RJ had been interrupted.

"If you want a supersize battle," RJ barked, "you got it."

Back in the fortress, Fran's attention was grabbed as the wall flew open. Camille reached forward, grabbing her hand and helping her to her feet.

"Fran, we have to go." She rushed out, gesturing to the door. "Follow me."

"Can you cloak both of us?" Fran asked her.

"Unfortunately I can't." Camille answered honestly. "We have to move quickly, hurry up."

They ran from the room, making their way quickly down the corridor. Fran followed Camille closely, hoping they wouldn't meet much resistance; however that was quickly proven to be a futile hope. Taking a turn, they were confronted by some Rinshi warriors.

"Wrong turn." Fran screamed, kicking one of the warriors aside. "Is there another way around?"

"Follow me!" Camille called out, taking another corridor.

"It's not like I have much of a choice." Fran replied, following her. It was a frantic chase as they barrelled through the catacombs of the fortress, leading outside to the northern clearing.

"Where's the portal?" Camille shrieked, finding no sign of it.

"Camille, we really don't have time for this!" Fran reminded her as their pursuers caught up with them. Fran and Camille prepared guards as they advanced.

"Fran, I'm going to use my beast form." Camille told her.

"Camille, you've worked too hard to avoid that." Fran replied. "You can't..."

"It's the only way I'll have the power to get us out of this." Camille told her. It was then that salvation came in a most unlikely form. The gold and black armoured warrior ploughed through the Rinshi with ease, destroying the guard contingent. He powered down back to his human form.

"Dai Shi?" Camille asked, completely confused by his actions. He gestured over to a large, twisted old oak tree with a large split running up its trunk.

"The portal is in the hollow." He told her. "Goodbye Camille."

"Goodbye." She replied as they made their way through the portal. They found themselves arriving back in Ocean Bluff, just as Barrakuza was destroyed. The Rangers all gathered round Flit.

"We'll try to get you back to Camille." RJ told him. We don't know where she is..."

"I'm here." She answered, sprinting to the scene. "Flit, I'm sorry, Dai Shi kidnapped us."

"Well, you're here now." He responded weakly. It was obvious that he didn't have much time left. "Go on Camille, do what you know you have to."

With that, she used her tongue to draw him back into her stomach. There was a slight look of regret on her face.

"Camille, what's the story with you and Flit?" Fran asked her. "You always seem so upset when we try to ask."

"Flit is the biggest regret of my life." She told them. "He's the worst thing I've ever done."

Back at JKP, the team gathered round as Camille prepared to explain. "Flit was once a powerful enemy of mine; I was locked in a fierce battle with him."

"What happened?" RJ asked her.

"He was about to defeat me, but I had a secret weapon. Dai Shi had given me magical larva dust. I sprayed him with it, casting a powerful curse. It turned him into a fly." A few tears rolled down her face as she recalled the rest of the conflict. "I imprisoned him in my stomach and took him back to the fortress. I intended to keep him prisoner there, but something went wrong."

"What?" Casey asked her.

"Dai Shi never told me the true effects of the dust." She replied. "As he sat in his cage, it worried me that he didn't change back, but also that he seemed to be getting weaker. When I looked up the effects of the dust's power, I realised that not only did it turn him into a fly; it made him dependent on me for survival. He needs to remain in my stomach. If he's out for too long he'll die."

"So you took him back into your stomach." RJ surmised.

"I couldn't just let him die." She sniffed, wiping away some tears. "Over time we've reached an understanding. From the moment I realised what I had done to him, I swore that I would do everything I could to break the curse."

"I take it you haven't figured it out yet." Casey concluded, putting an arm around her. Camille shook her head sadly.

"The curse is more powerful than I could have imagined." She told them. "I'm still searching for a cure."

"We'll help you in any way we can." Casey reassured her. As they gathered around her, comforting her, Fran gestured to Theo to join her in a side room. Moving inside, she closed the door behind them, kissing him softly.

"I'm really sorry; I know I've been acting strangely recently." She began, holding him closely.

"Fran, you always act strangely." He responded, kissing her again. "It's one of the things I love about you."

"You know what I mean." She pressed on, pushing him away a little. "Sometimes I just feel a little left out, you know...inferior."

"Fran, that's..."

"Let me finish." She interrupted him. "What you guys do on a daily basis is amazing. You save people's lives without a thought for yourselves."

"We've been trained to do that." Theo told her. "Fran, we all care about you."

"I know it's just that...you all have this shared history that I didn't understand." He continued. "I've known RJ for years, but I had no idea about Pai Zhuq or his animal spirit or any of that. It felt like you all had a connection that I never would."

"Fran, I love you." He told her softly. "I've never thought any less of you because you weren't a Pai Zhuq."

"But I did." She told him. "But something happened that changed that while I was being held prisoner by Dai Shi. Master Mao came to me."

"He did?" He asked her. "What did he say?"

"He told me I was an important member of the team." She replied. "He made me feel a lot better about myself."

"He always was able to do that." Theo chuckled in response.

"He also said that he knew why you cared about me so much," she carried on, "he also taught me how to channel my animal spirit."

"He did?" Theo asked a little confused.

Fran concentrated, calling it forth once more. Both she and Theo marvelled as it began pacing the room.

"It's a fox." He stated.

"Master Mao said it suits me." She replied. "Quick-witted, intelligent and cunning is what he said."

"And cute." He added, reaching out and stroking the fox cub spirit standing before him. "So do you feel better now?"

"In a way I do, but not for the reason I thought." She replied. "I wanted to learn to channel my animal spirit to understand you better."

"And now?" He asked.

"Now I feel like I've found a part of myself I didn't even know was missing." She replied. With that, they fell into a warm embrace, taking comfort in the still of the early evening. It 

hadn't been the best of routes, but Fran had achieved what she had wanted all along. She didn't feel alone among her friends anymore.

Fin.


End file.
